更新日期：2010-12-30浏览次数：2678次所属教程：
节目介绍
"I want to ask the difference between 'to' and 'for'. For example: Water is important to us. Water is important for China. I want to know what the difference is between the two sentences. Thank you. "
Supermother, China
Before listening to the programme, why not do a small test and fill in the following sentences with 'to' and 'for'?
What about buying some nice ice cream __ dinner!
That sounds like a great idea ___ me.
Too much ice cream is bad ___ your health.
I've prepared a small gift ___ her.
Listen to the programme. You will not only find the right answers but also learn some difference usages of to and for.
To 和 for 这两个看似简单的介词，有时会让人太头疼。It's difficult for us? Or it's difficult to us? 在今天的节目中，王飞和William 将为大家讲一讲 to 和 for 的区别。
If you have a question you would like to ask our team, email us at questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk.
We might produce a programme about your question.
听力原文
BBC Learning English – Q & A of the Week 你问我答
About this script
Please note that this is not a word for word transcript of the programme as broadcast. In
To and For 两个介词的区别
Wang Fei: Hello and welcome to Question and Answer of the Week. 我是王飞。
William: Hello, I'm William.
Wang Fei: 我们今天的问题是关于两个介词：to 和 for. 这两个词虽然看似简单，但是有时候会非常难区分。我们先来听一下问题。
Insert
Hello. My name is Supermother. I want to ask the difference between 'to' and 'for'. For example: Water is important to us. Water is important for China. I want to know what the difference is between the two sentences. Thank you.
Wang Fei: 我们的听友名字叫Supermother.
William: It's a funny name but maybe she really is a supermother.
Wang Fei: Probably she is. 我们的听友 Supermother 想知道介词 to 和 for 在下面两个句子中的区别。Water is important to us. Water is important for China. William, they are both correct sentences, aren't they?
William: Yes, they are both grammatically correct.
Wang Fei: But there is a difference then?
William: Well yes, but it's difficult to explain. If we put the two sentences into different contexts, you will see the difference more easily.
Wang Fei: Context 语境、上下文，你要把这两个句子放在不同的上下文中，就知道它们的不同了。
William: Imagine a little boy is running the tap and his mum says to him 'Turn the tap off. Water is important to us.'
Wang Fei: 在这个情况下，小孩子浪费水的时候，妈妈说 '关上水龙头。Water is important to us.'
William: Now imagine a classroom. A science teacher is talking about the natural resources of the earth and he says '70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water and water is very important for China and for the world.'
Page 2 of 3
Wang Fei: 在这个情况下，老师讲课时说“地球表面70%被水覆盖，'water is important for China and for the world.'
William: When the boy's mother says 'Water is important to us' that is a personal opinion, a subjective opinion. But when the teacher says 'Water is important for China' that's more like a fact; it's much more objective.
Wang Fei: 我明白了。To us 是一种与说话人切身利益有关的，很主观的看法。而 for us 则更多的是概念性的，客观的事实。我们来听更多的例子。
Insert
A: What about buying some nice ice cream for dinner?
B: Yes. That sounds like a great idea to me.
C: No. Too much ice cream is bad for your health. We should have some proper food.
William: It sounds like a good idea to me. Here again, 'to' is very personal, it's subjective.
Wang Fei: It sounds like a good idea to me, 是说活人的观点，与说话人利益有关。
William: Too much ice cream is bad for your health. Here 'for' is indicates a fact. It's quite objective.
Wang Fei: Too much ice cream is bad for your health. 吃太多冰激凌对身体不好，是一个事实，比较客观，所以要用 for.
William: Ok, are those the only examples we're going to look at today?
Wang Fei: No, no! I still have one more question for you. Here, why don't we say I have one more question to you? Are they both correct?
William: This is also about 'to' and 'for'. But in this context, 'I have one question to you' is wrong.
Wang Fei: Why? 我们平时不也说 'I wrote a letter to you.' 'He gave that book to me'?
William: 'For' here indicates the final intended recipient of something and perhaps suggests the purpose for doing something. So 'I have a question for you'; here, you are asking me this question because you want me to answer it. However, 'to' doesn't have exactly that meaning. 'To' only indicates an action of passing something from a giver to a receiver.
Wang Fei: 我明白了。For 和 to 虽然都有方向性，但是for 是有一种目的和原因在里面，是专门为接受者做的，或者让接受者拥有的东西。但是 'to' 就很简单，只是简单的一个传递
动作过程。
William: Let's hear some more examples.
Page 3 of 3
Insert
A: Today is Mary's birthday. I've prepared a small gift for her.
B: I've also got a birthday card for her. What time are we going to give the gifts to her?
William: These examples show us why having these different words to and for is sometimes quite useful – but I know it can be quite confusing too.
Wang Fei: That's right. And there are many other usages of 'to' and 'for' that are difficult to me.
William: Ah, you mean 'difficult FOR me' Wang Fei!!
Wang Fei: Sorry, it should be it's difficult FOR me! Yes.
William: Unfortunately, we can't discuss all of those tricky examples because this will be a very long programme for our listeners.
Wang Fei: 是的，听众朋友， 介词 'to' 和 'for' 的用法实在太多了，我们讲一天也讲不完。如果你能巩固好今天的这几个例子，你对 to 和 for 的用法就会了解更多了。
William: Yes. And remember we are always here for you. If there is anything you're not clear about just write to us. Bye for now!
Wang Fei: Bye.